Introduction

Powerful technologies exists today that are poised to transform home health care by bringing independence, confidence, safety, and peace of mind to Ontarians living at home while they actively manage and become a partner in their health care.

Ontario’s Comprehensive Home Health Care Technology Strategy is an integrated approach to transforming home health care delivery through a clear mission, forward-thinking vision and long-term strategies for change.

The cornerstone of our mission is the delivery of integrated solutions that provide Ontarian's utilizing home care with the ability to become active partners in managing and developing solutions that meets their needs and engage family and caregivers in the entire process.

Technology is an enabler and not the only focus of Ontario’s Comprehensive Home Health Care Technology Strategy because technology alone cannot solve health care problems— a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view is required with technology being only one of the elements under consideration.

Ontario will only be able to achieve these goals through leadership, commitment, and accountability from inside and outside government. This comprehensive strategic plan builds a framework and vision designed to bring together patients, government, health care providers, family, caregivers, and corporations developing new health care technologies.
We will all need to work together to bring safe and high quality health care solutions from the hospital and the health care centre into the home to provide better access to primary care, home care and community care so patients can receive the care they need, in the most appropriate place and in a timely manner [10].

Smart Homes, Healthy Lives

Through teamwork we can transform home health care in Ontario so that patients, health care professions, families, and caregivers experience safety, support, independence, and a system that is responsive to their needs.

Ontario is moving forward with the next step in developing its Seniors Care Strategy, which will help seniors stay healthy and live at home longer [4]. Seniors are the largest population that will see an immediate benefit from improved home care strategies because they are the most rapidly growing segment of the population with the most to lose from lengthy hospitalizations that result in a loss of independence and quality of life.